1. Field
Systems and method described herein relate to diagnostics in a processing system. In particular, these systems and method relate to the use of software for performing diagnostic procedures.
2. Background Information
Software tools for performing diagnostic procedures enable diagnostic tests on one or more elements of a processing system. Such elements of a processing system to be diagnosed may include hardware subsystems such as, for example, memory devices, communication circuitry and data busses. Diagnostic tools may also be used to performing tests of software subsystems. Application programs may typically initiate diagnostic procedures through the diagnostic tools.
Software diagnostic tools are typically hosted on an operating system which resides on a target processing system to be tested. In a desktop or mobile computing environment, for example, software diagnostic tools may be hosted on an operating systems such as versions of Windows™ sold by Microsoft Corporation. One set of software diagnostic tools may typically be developed for several processing systems hosting the same operating system.
With the use of multiple types of operating systems in, for example, embedded and real-time computing platforms, hosting similar diagnostic software tools on each of several operating systems typically involves the use of a different set of diagnostic tools for each operating system. Accordingly, performing similar diagnostic tests on multiple systems with different operating systems typically involves developing a set of diagnostic tools for each operating system. There is a need to reduce the cost and complexity associated with providing diagnostic tools for processing systems hosting different operating systems.